Every player prefers wins over personal statistics, but with three games remaining the personal goals are more interesting to discuss than whether or not the Oilers will have a 14.2% chance (28th place) or an 18.8% chance (29th place) of winning the draft lottery.

Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and David Perron are battling for the team lead in goals -- they each have 27 -- while Hall is also trying to become the 12th player in Oilers' history to score 80 points.

Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson did it, but can you name the other six? (*answer at bottom)

Hall is putting together an outstanding season. He already has 60 even strength points. When Doug Weight scored 104 points in 1996 and 90 in 2001 he had 58 and 50 ES points respectively. Right now only Ryan Getzlaf has a better ES points-per-game ratio than Hall.

Getzlaf is at .84, while Hall and Crosby are at .833. Hall has become a dominant offensive player and as he said yesterday in our interview, he is working hard at improving his overall game. He is going to be even better next season, and if he stays healthy he could push for 90 points and be a better defensive player.

While Hall is battling to become the 12th Oiler in team history to get 80 points, he is pushing Eberle and Perron to reach 30 goals. The Oilers haven't had two 30-goal scorers in the same season since Ryan Smyth (39) and Andrei Kovalenko (32) did it in 1997. They haven't had three 30-goal men since 1990.

It is unlikely all three of them will average a goal/game over the final three games, but it will be fun to watch who takes over the lead in goals.

Eberle is trying to become only the 10th Oiler to have two 30-goal seasons. (**List of the others is at bottom). He's quietly had a good season. He wasn't very good early in the season, and I think the trade talk was bothering him, but he's been quite good, 19 points in 18 games, since the Olympic break.

Scoring 30 goals twice as an Oiler would put him in pretty good company.

LINEUP

I asked Eakins about Lander playing centre. "We know he can play centre, we need to find out if he can play the wing in the NHL," said Eakins. "I won't compromise the structure of our team to watch one player play centre. If he is going to play here he'll need to be able to play centre, right wing and left wing."

Lander hasn't looked bad, but he hasn't produced any offence, and in the future if he hopes to be a 3rd line he'll need to show he can produce at the NHL level. It is still to early to give up on Lander, but he'll need to show a pulse offensively in camp next season if he has any aspirations of making the team.

QUICK HITS...

The Oilers are 12-4-4 in their last 20 vs. the Avs including an 8-2 drubbing earlier this season. The Avs are one of the few top teams in the league that the Oilers dominate.

Nathan MacKinnon will win the Calder. He leads rookies in scoring with 60 points, and he's only the fourth 18 year old in the last decade to score 50+ points. Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were the others.

This is a big game for the Avs. They have a two-point lead over Chicago for home ice advantage in their upcoming playoff series. The Avs finish the season with four road games.Tonight, Thursday in Vancouver, Friday in San Jose and Sunday in Anaheim. If they can win two of four they secure 2nd place in the central division and home ice against the Hawks. They should be movitvated to beat the Oilers.

When asked where he'll play next year, Ryan Jones replied, "Not here," to Rob Tychkowski. Jones went on to say he felt it was mutual from both sides. This isn't breaking news, because it was clear neither party had much interest in the other, but you don't hear a player admit it on the record very often.

TONIGHT...

GAME DAY PREDICTION: The SpOilers upset another team battling for home ice advantage with 6-4 victory.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: There will be multiple statistical comparisons between MacKinnon and Hall or Nugent-Hopkins throughout the broadcast.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: MacKinnon and tough guy Patrick Bordeleau are the only Avs to have played all 78 games heading into tonight's tilt. Bordeleau picks up a 2nd period assist and reaches double digits in points for the first time in his career.

One of Canada's most versatile sports personalities. Jason hosts The Jason Gregor Show, weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m., on TSN 1260, and he writes a column every Monday in the Edmonton Journal. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JasonGregor

Still two more opportunities for BIG MAC to get into an NHL game this season!!!!

I don't want him anywhere near this team. Anyone who headed out on a hunting trip (as per his twitter feed near the start of the season) after suffering a knee injury that prevented him from playing should be kicked out of the NHLPA and have his contract rendered null and void. I hated seeing a player I liked a lot take his job so lightly.

ENOUGH with the fire Lowe posts. We get it... You don't like him. I'm pretty tired of reading 5 different comments on every article saying the exact same thing. Comment if you have discussion or insight pertinent to the article, shut up if you're just going to blab on about how Lowe sucks.

Everyone on this site agrees with you, it's time for Lowe to go... We don't need to be told multiple times on every article. How about you go spam somewhere else. Start posting on the oilers website, or tweeting at the oilers instead.

Still two more opportunities for BIG MAC to get into an NHL game this season!!!!

C'MON MACT and EAKINS - listen to your INNER WONGER - GET THE BIG BRUISER UP HERE FOR LA THURSDAY AND THE CANUCKLHEADS SATURDAY!!!! The OKC Barons are in Abottsford Friday and Sunday afternoon - they will only need him if Trevor Gillies makes a rare appearance in the Heat line-up!!!! Maybe BIG MAC can dress for all four games???!!!!! Wonger may have to make a couple of trips between Abbotsford and Edmonton this weekend!!!

This season has been a disaster and people are voicing their displeasure. Use your own discretion to filter out the voices you're not tired of hearing or agree with.

When essentially the same remark appears multiple times no matter what the topic, it's spam -- even if I happen to agree with the sentiment being expressed (which I do in this case).
As a writer here, I moderate comments. I read them all -- the witty, the dim, everything in between. "Just skip over it if you don't like it" isn't an option.
If I choose to remove a comment for any reason, I will. If I choose to remark about a comment, as I did in this case, I will -- whether you like it or not.

Looking at the positives... hoping for Smyth's PP goal before the end of the season... hoping for Hall's first 80 pt+ season... and hoping for a few more wins to end the season on a good note.

Go Oilers!

ADIOS SMYTTY!

The fact that they have tried so hard to get him the record this year tells me that he is probably not coming back next year. They could have done a "farewell Smytty" tour, but Smyth probably would not want that.

It's acceptable if it's a righteous anger though Robin. The silent majority speaks. Nothing but chuck steak on the grill at Rexall for 8 yrs now.

Posting it here is useless though... 95% of people who visit the site are thinking the exact same thing. Katz likely doesn't spend his days pouring through the comments section looking for how he should run his franchise. Direct your anti-lowe commentary elsewhere, because it's annoying and useless. Everyone agrees with you already.

I like what Brian Elliot said today. Ultimately the players on the ice dictate the record. Roy has a great record. He also had amazing goaltending, many forwards having career years and a defense that is better than the Oil. Eakins had abysmal goaltending, top players not only slumping offensivly, but struggling defensively too. Not to mention the worst collective defenseman in the NHL. Im not trying to take away from Roys rookie coach season. Im not defending Eakins. But I bet you that if you swapped the two coaches this year, the results would not be very different for their respective teams. Similarly the coach swap Vancouver and New York. Vancouvers horses are on the past their prime. There was no way they were going to be close to a presidents cup team.

If we re-posted your last 10 comments from various articles here, how many would have a "Fire Lowe" reference?

You're fixating.

EDIT: I see Bobo beat me to this. Really, enough.

Sorry guys. Fixated is a proper word for my fire Kevin Lowe comments. I'm just amazed he's still with the organization. I'll try to write more Shea Weber trades and keep updating our Ekblad draft chances instead. Cuz the best way to solve the Kevin Lowe problem is to not talk about it, it's working so well

Sorry guys. Fixated is a proper word for my fire Kevin Lowe comments. I'm just amazed he's still with the organization. I'll try to write more Shea Weber trades and keep updating our Ekblad draft chances instead. Cuz the best way to solve the Kevin Lowe problem is to not talk about it, it's working so well

How this got any trashes is just stupid. What would it take for people to stop defending this awful management group/owner? I would love to hear what Kevin Lowe, Craig Mctavish and other members of the old boys club bring to this team other than a losing culture. Winning in the 80s era brings nothing to the game today.

The fact that they have tried so hard to get him the record this year tells me that he is probably not coming back next year. They could have done a "farewell Smytty" tour, but Smyth probably would not want that.

PS : I hate to break it to everyone, but those yabos are fake.

PPS: Doesn't this remind you a little bit of Crash Davis' pursuit of the "all time career home runs by a minor league catcher" record in Bull Durham? Smytty is a warrior, I wish him well.

I agree with your sentiment from top to bottom. I left your comment in place, but it just becomes noise when you offer it up multiple times under multiple items day after day -- wouldn't be any different if I wrote a "Fire Lowe" article every day.

I'm hoping you're not beating a dead horse, but that call belongs to Katz alone.

I wish you would write a fire Lowe article everyday. In fact I wish every article that anyone writes about the oilers is a fire Lowe article. I wish no one could turn around without Fire Lowe being talked about, printed, chanted, graffitied, sung, danced or tweeted! Maybe then change will be made. but I will stop spamming the site with fire Lowe comments, but I won't drop it completely

(I asked Eakins about Lander playing centre. "We know he can play centre, we need to find out if he can play the wing in the NHL," said Eakins. "I won't compromise the structure of our team to watch one player play centre. If he is going to play here he'll need to be able to play centre, right wing and left wing.")

What a load of BS from Eakins. WHAT STRUCTURE?

Shifting players up-and-down the lines?

Getting Hall and Smyth to play C?

Getting Larsson to play forward?

NOT getting Gagner to play on wing?

What kind of STRUCTURE is he talking about? Eakins knows best structure?

If you've been paying even the slightest bit of attention over the last several months you'll know I've pointed the finger directly at Lowe multiple times -- to the point somebody here accused me of having a vendetta against Kevin.

So, is your comment a matter of ignorance to the above or are you just trying to get a reaction from me?

I get what you're saying brownlee. You're sick of the fire Lowe comments. I'm sick of typing them out. But the day Gillis is fired for missing the playoffs 1 time in his 6 years on the job, you gotta expect me to point out that this team hasn't even made it in once in 8 years without change. It just bugs me, and I know you're on the fire Lowe band wagon too. You think I'm beating a dead horse, but I won't be happy til Lowe is gone.

I hate posts going "sure hall has 77 points, but he is -13" The only player in the positve, of the 31 that have suited up for the Oil this year, is Ben Eager (who played 7 games)! +/- can be an indication of a players skills, but it needs to be used in context. Ference was +9 last year and -18 this year. Did his game really change??

Sammy should be playing on the wing. He is less accountable that way. So Eakins' arguement that he will ice the "best lines" or whatever, is not necessarily true. Also, Lander and Gagner are terrible together, but someone has to be defensively responsible on that line, and that is one skill of Lander. So we should stop misusing him and forcing him into an offensive role when that just isnt his type of game. I think he can be a useful bottom six winger, with two-way ability. Nothing wrong with that, and we have it in our organization. Its not something we need to trade for anymore.

Id love to see Smyth get that PP goal. He works his ass off. Its no more his fault that he was tossed to the wolves by an inexperienced coach and told to play center. That took a lot of wind out of his sails. Its not easy for a winger to transition to center. Look at Hall, and he is two decades younger!

I also think that Hall is deserving of the 80 pt mark, but will likely just miss it. Its unfortunate but with the three games we have remaining, one terrible opening period could be the white towel on the season. Im not being pessimistic, im being realistic. This team hasnt once shown the character to be able to pick themselves up after a poor start and battle back for more then the very odd game. Consistency is their biggest enemy.

Lowe will not be fired, relieved of his duties, retire, quit, or other. He is here to stay, we have no choice, so all we can do is hope that MacT keeps on making the kind of additions that he has this past year, and that Eakins doesnt go into a sophmore slump for coaching and can come out of his stubborn shell and rid the team of the awful 1-3-1 powerplay and create a line-up worthy of comeptition in this league next year. That, of course, also has a lot to do with what MacT does. And i do have a lot of faith in him.

for the first time since 2010, id bet my right arm that there wont be a draft party in Edmonton. Thank GOD!

Posting it here is useless though... 95% of people who visit the site are thinking the exact same thing. Katz likely doesn't spend his days pouring through the comments section looking for how he should run his franchise. Direct your anti-lowe commentary elsewhere, because it's annoying and useless. Everyone agrees with you already.

I don't want him anywhere near this team. Anyone who headed out on a hunting trip (as per his twitter feed near the start of the season) after suffering a knee injury that prevented him from playing should be kicked out of the NHLPA and have his contract rendered null and void. I hated seeing a player I liked a lot take his job so lightly.

In Alberta when we cant work we go hunting. Hiking through a bush I bet was cleared as exercise by his doctor. Physical activity is important rehab. Have you been hunting? All it is is hiking. My 75 year old Grandpa does it. Id have more of an issue with him sitting on his butt eating cheetos.

(I asked Eakins about Lander playing centre. "We know he can play centre, we need to find out if he can play the wing in the NHL," said Eakins. "I won't compromise the structure of our team to watch one player play centre. If he is going to play here he'll need to be able to play centre, right wing and left wing.")

What a load of BS from Eakins. WHAT STRUCTURE?

Shifting players up-and-down the lines?

Getting Hall and Smyth to play C?

Getting Larsson to play forward?

NOT getting Gagner to play on wing?

What kind of STRUCTURE is he talking about? Eakins knows best structure?

Better be careful about your comments and your name, opinions calling for Eakins to be fired may also not be welcomed here. When the team is stuck in a Groundhog Day repetitive cycle of suckiness year after year, new content and insight on opinions and comments should not be expected.
I'm sure if we read articles from last year and the year before from some authors I'm sure there's lots of repetition there as well, which is also perfectly understandable. In other words, being bad is nothing new for this team.

How this got any trashes is just stupid. What would it take for people to stop defending this awful management group/owner? I would love to hear what Kevin Lowe, Craig Mctavish and other members of the old boys club bring to this team other than a losing culture. Winning in the 80s era brings nothing to the game today.

I have never heard anyone defend kevin lowe except Katz and MacT(paid to defend his boss). Mac T on the other hand should be defended. He coached this team to the only bit of glory this team has had since Mess left and has brought more to the organization in one year than the entire Tambelini era. Firing Krueger and signing Grebs were mistakes but who among us is perfect?